The Essence of Being
by eccyclema
Summary: Trenton, Mississippi, is a quiet place. Or was, until a mysterious and somewhat ALIEN heat wave rips through town. Not to mention the odd disappearances of a few locals, including the Mayor's daughter. Will the Doctor and Clara be able to get to the bottom of things before the town gets wiped off the map?
1. The Odd Abduction

_**Disclaimer: I borrowed a TARDIS and a Time Lord from the BBC workshop. Don't worry, I fully intend to bring then back. Eventually.**_

_**Wow, it's been a while since I've done this. The whole fanfic thing, that is. Hopefully you enjoy this.**_

_**Yes, this is a Eleven/Clara fic. I decided to go with a bit of a prologue this time, and a chapter with our favorite duo should be up in a bit. Ta! x**_

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**Chapter One: The Odd Abduction**

The tiny town of Trenton, Mississippi, rested in its usual mid-summer slumber. With the start of July came record highs, and all across town you could hear the soft mechanical hum of the overworked air conditioners. In town, the sun glistened off polished storefront windows, adding to the nostalgic feel the town was known for. It was all anyone in the crowded streets could do not do get blinded by them, on a usual summer, but this year's alien heat wave had caused the stores to be strangely barren. The citizens of Trenton would rather stay indoors with the refreshing cool air than venture out in this heat.

Well, not every citizen.

Madeline Johnson sighed, trying to keep her mind off of the heat. She was proved unsuccessful as she checked, yet again, to make sure her makeup wasn't running off.

Her friends had all run down to the lake, hoping to splash off their summer madness. Unfortunately, Madeline's part-time cashier job at Trenton Square General Store had kept her from joining them and, most importantly, her crush, Tony. But college was a short while away and she needed to save up if she ever wanted to leave this town.

Madeline's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden low rumble that spread over the town. _Odd_, she thought. _Maybe it'll rain soon?_ At least that would cool down the town a bit.

The rumbling began again, and the sky began to darken. Ducking below the counter to find the mini-TV's remote, she didn't notice as a figure approached the shop until the bells above the door jingled.

"Be right with you, doll!" the teen called, out of sight, and then mumbling: "Where is that blasted thing?"

"Please, take your time. We are in no rush."

The stranger's voice sent a shiver down Madeline's spine. It was masculine and feminine, adult and child, all rolled into one melodic voice. Or were there many voices? Her heart pounded in her chest.

Slowly, she rose back into standing position. _Surely, this is some kind of joke… _"H-how can I help?"

Cloaked in all black, the stranger stood in front of her. "We require you."

"Come again?"

"We require you."

"Now this is absurd. Who sent you? Was it Lisa?"

"We require you."

_Oh for the love of-_ "Who are you? Who's 'we'?"

"That is none of your concern." The queer-voiced stranger pulled something from beneath his cloak, obviously some sort of gun.

"Please, just… put that thing down!" Madeline backed up against the wall behind the checkout, before quickly turning and attempting to run away. Her attacker shot in front of her, barely missing her head. Realizing she was stuck, she slipped her cell out of her pocket and hit the auto-dial for the authorities.

_Please, God, help me…_, she prayed.

"We need you, Madeline Johnson. Join us."

A bright green light filled the shop, and from that light came… music. The voices of a thousand people rang in Madeline's head, bringing tears to her eyes. _It's so... beautiful..._ But it was more than that. The light seemed to shake her to her very core. No, it was definitely _speaking to her soul_. She smiled softly and nodded, and within an instant she, the cloaked stranger, and the bright melodic light were gone.

All that could be heard was a police dispatcher's voice coming from her forgotten cellphone, calling out, "Hello, 911, what is your emergency?"

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_**A/N: Dun dun dun...**_

_**Chapter two should be up by tomorrow, and it should definitely be much longer than this one. I'm decidedly much better at ending stories than starting them.**_

_**Also reviews make me a happy camper, just fyi.**_


	2. Shaken, Not Stirred

**Chapter Two: Shaken, Not Stirred**

"You're sure you don't need any help?" Clara leaned against the staircase as the Doctor continued to work, rather loudly, on the TARDIS.

"No, no. I'm quite alright, thanks."

He reached his hand out, stretching to get a hold of some tool, and fell a bit short. His companion sighed and strode over to him, picking up the alien object. As he reached to grab it from her hands, she pulled back. "Ah, no."

Rolling his eyes, the Doctor grumbled, "please," under his breath. Clara smiled and handed the tool over.

"Atta boy." She sat down next to where he worked, getting lost in thought. It was a Wednesday (at least, it was for Clara), but the Doctor decided they should stay on the TARDIS so he could finish up some repairs. Not that she minded, of course. The ship was monstrous in size, and she was determined to explore at least seven new rooms before lunch. But watching the Doctor work made her wonder…

"Why do you work so much on the TARDIS? I mean, it won't break down, will it?"

"She. And not as long as I'm here. We've been through a lot together, me and the ol' girl. She takes care of me and I take care of her," he answered, not looking up from his work.

"What would you do without the TARDIS?" she asked.

"I'm not sure." He looked up at her. "Why all the questions?"

"Just humor me." She cocked her head to the side, lost in her curiosity. "Say, hypothetically, me an' you end up stranded somewhere. What would you do if you couldn't travel the stars and get into trouble?"

Smiling slightly, he set down whatever he was working with. "Well, I'm sure we'd still find trouble. And we could still help people. Not that I'd ever dream that anything would happen to her," he replied, patting the ship.

"We?"

"I thought you would stay with me. Hypothetically." Straightening his bowtie nervously, he continued, "Would you?"

"Stay with you? Course I would. Can't let you wander into trouble without any backup," she smiled slyly.

Returning to his repairs, he grinned that smug grin of his. "'Course you would."

"Oh, come off it, old man," Clara laughed, standing to leave. "I'm going to the kitchen, want anything?"

"No, I'm fine." He had thrown himself back into his work.

"Suit yourself!" she called behind her.

.::::.

Walking carefully as not to spill the two mugs of tea she carried, Clara made her way back into the console room. The Doctor had said he was fine, but she figured a good cuppa wouldn't hurt. After all, he was always rattling on about tannins and radicals and such.

She made it back to the console room and set the mugs on one of the side controls. "Doctor? I brought you some tea."

"Brilliant! Be up in a mo'," he called up to her, moving towards the stairs. A loud, thunderous noise filled the TARDIS, shaking and quaking the entire ship, sending both the Doctor and Clara flying.

"DOCTOR?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Clara shouted, trying to stand back up. The refreshments had fallen off of their perch and drenched her. _How wonderful…_

Downstairs, the Doctor was attempting the same. "WE'RE FALLING OUT OF THE VORTEX!"

"SHOULDN'T THAT BE IMPOSSIBLE?! YOU SAID WE WERE DRIFTING!" she shouted, finally standing upright and gripping to the railing for dear life.

"IT IS! WE WERE!" The Doctor's hold on the banister slipped, and he wound up hitting the floor square on his stomach. "But _when_ has _anything_ stayed impossible…" he grunted.

This continued for several moments, then as suddenly as the shaking as started, it had stopped.

"At least that's over…" Clara sighed, still holding herself up. "Doctor!"

Racing downstairs, she found the Time Lord on his stomach, groaning about improbabilities. She quickly helped him back onto his feet, straightening his bowtie when he was finally standing. "Good thing I like my aliens shaken and not stirred then, eh?"

"Much like your tea?" he smirked, looking down his soaked companion.

Taking herself into account, she frowned slightly. "And I just bought this top… Guess I better change before we see where we landed."

The Doctor smiled after her as she left.

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"Another citizen from the town of Trenton has gone missing earlier this week. Madeline Johnson, the seventeen year old daughter of Mayor Clayton Johnson, was last seen working in the town's convenience store before her disappearance on Monday night. Authorities are not yet confirming whether her disappearance is connected to the other locals', Dodge MacLean, 25, and Gertrude Montgomery, 65. If you have any information as to the whereabouts of any of these individuals, we urge you to call the information hotline at 875-TIPS. One again, if you know anything about the disappearance of these people, please call 875-TIPS. Reporting live from Trenton, this is Cindy Tolks signing off."

Cindy sighed as Alex, packed up the equipment outside town hall. "Three people missing and no clues… It's a shame."

The cameraman nodded. "In the diner earlier I heard some people talking. Apparently the cameras in the stores were filled with fuzz. Cops can't make heads or tails."

"Messed up security cameras? Couldn't be professionals, not in this town…" she turned, genuinely curious. "Could it?"

"You're asking the wrong guy. I only know how to make cameras work, not the opposite."

The situation was horrible, Cindy knew. _But just imagine the story on this one… _A serial kidnapper could make her career. "I'm running in and getting a bite before we go. Need any help?"

"Nah, I've got it. Get me a coffee, black, for the road. I'll just run over to the service station, loop the van back around and pick you up."

"Alright, see you in fifteen."

Fifteen minutes later, however, Alex had not yet returned.

Or in twenty.

By thirty minutes past, Cindy was worried. Carrying her crewman's coffee, she walked up the road to where the gas station was located. She could see the van from far off, but it wasn't until she was mere feet away did she realized that the vehicle was abandoned. Alex, and the driver of another car in the station, were nowhere to be found.

"Alex?" she called, hoping he was pulling her leg. _Of all the insufferable—_

She ran inside, hoping to ask someone if they knew what was going on, but the store was empty.

She was alone.

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_**A/N: One benefit of summer is I have nothing to do besides write and watch TV. So here you are, another chapter in our little story.**_

_**I'm also looking for a beta, if anyone is interested...**_

_**Please review, and I'll see you soon! x**_


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